WO2015186998A1

WO2015186998A1 - Method for the production of dried probiotic food

Info

Publication number: WO2015186998A1
Application number: PCT/MY2014/000189
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fook Yee CHYE; Seah Young NG; Birdie Scott PADAM; Siew Siew KOON
Original assignee: Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Priority date: 2014-06-05
Filing date: 2014-06-25
Publication date: 2015-12-10
Also published as: MY180486A

Abstract

The present invention pertains to a method for the production of a dried fruit product and the dried food prepared therewith, characterized in that the fruits before they are dried are coated with a composition of probiotic bacteria. The dried fruit products prepared in accordance with the invention are beneficial for the health, contain various important nutrients and provide an edible and tasteful snack.

Description

METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF DRIED PROBIOTIC FOOD

Field of the Invention

Background of the Invention

Probiotics are live microorganisms that when administered in adequate amount confer a health benefit to the host. The health benefits often relate to the improvement of gut health and lowering the blood cholesterol of the consumers. The global market for probiotic products is expected to reach USD28.8 billion in 2015 (Million and Raoult, 2013). However, majority of the probiotic products available in the market are dairy-based due to the fact that most probiotics are limited to survive only in milk or lactose rich medium. Therefore, searching for dairy free probiotic foods and products are always an urgent challenge to the functional food designer (Cespedes et al., 2013; Granato et al., 2010). This is also aiming to cater the need for probiotic supply for lactose intolerant individuals and vegan, besides competing with other new products in the conventional probiotic market.

Due to short shelf-life and limited facility for postharvest handling at the farm side, most tropical fruits are unable to be exported to other countries. Increasing production on tropical fruits often translated into generation of agricultural waste that might be due to under consumption and, or uneven distribution although the global demand on fruits are increasing each year (Aguinaldo et al., 2013; Eriksson et al., 2012; OECD-FAO, 2013). Advancement in downstream processing and innovation in product development is expected to be the frontier of evolution in the fruit industry accomplishing the ever-changing consumer demands and market needs (Euromonitor International, 2012; Kaipia et al., 2013). Thus, incorporating probiotics onto dehydrated fruits provide an excellent choice to the health conscious consumers and yet enhance the marketability of these exotic fruits at the global trade industry.

There are some major challenges on why this invention is a necessity in regards to the fruit industry. This includes price fluctuations especially during the fruiting season with abundant supplies or off season with limited supplies that creates high volatility in the fresh fruit market (Srimanee and Routray, 2012). Processing fruit into a dried probiotic snack ensures processed product retain its healthiness and yet to have a longer shelf life with a stable retail value. The value of processed fruit is also dependent on the quality of product after processing (Aguinaldo et al., 2013). The current process is able to retain most of the major nutrients, phytochemicals and natural taste of fruits as well as maintaining the viability of probiotics. The new invention can be tailor-made to most of the tropical fruits - a revolutionized technology for variety of healthy fruit snacks which provides better alternative than conventional dried fruit snacks that could contain potentially harmful artificial coloring and flavoring.

Yoghurt and yoghurt drinks are common probiotic products made from milk and other newly developed dairy based probiotic foods such as cheese and chocolates which have been introduced into the market recently. Probiotic foods have undergone tremendous development in the past 10 years. However, the current research works have made probiotics to sustain in non-dairy based foods, in the dehydrated forms as well as other innovations where probiotics are incorporated as the functional aspects of the food. These includes the incorporation of probiotics in fruit and vegetable juice (Nazzaro et al., 2007; Sheehan et al., 2008), soy and cereals based products (Bedani et al., 2013; Kedia et al., 2007) as well as meat products (Lee et al., 2006). Microencapsulation of probiotics is also a technology that emerges as part of probiotic development aiming to extend the viability of the probiotics in dehydrated form and to be applied in non-dairy based foods (Malmo et al., 2013). Fruits have been known as rich sources of nutrients and micronutrients and have been targeted as the potential candidate for probiotic enriched food. Some of the advances include fruit cubes with added probiotic (Rego et al., 2013) and probiotic encapsulated raspberry powder (Anekella and Orsat, 2013). However, the limitation of these technologies spotlight on the survival of the probiotics within the product during storage and upon the delivery of the probiotics to the target site via intestinal tract. In the pharmaceutical industry, most of the probiotic products are generally available in the form of capsules, as nutraceutical or medicines. In reality, these products are not pleasing to the eyes of children who may not like the looks of tablets and pills. The current innovative process enables the impregnation of probiotics into dehydrated fruit slices, thus combining the benefits of probiotics and the nutritional values of fruits to produce convenient and functional snack. This is made possible through the usage of the right cocktail of probiotics as well as the mechanism and methods of adapting these probiotics into dried and stable form. The probiotic consortium are a blend of two unique strains of Lactobacillus plantarum isolated from an indigenous fermented local fruit {Mangifera pajang) that demonstrated significant technological properties (higher survival rate after culture being exposed to selected food processing environments) compared to the conventional probiotic such as Lactobacillus acidophilus (Ng and Chye, 2011) and adapt well in the dehydrated fruit environment. This newly developed product is suitable to be taken by consumers of all ages, an alternative healthy snack for in-between meals and a perfect choice of probiotic food for children.

Dried fruit is a nutrient-dense snack, providing vitamins, minerals and beneficial phytochemicals. Synchronizing with increasing consumer preference towards healthier lifestyles, packed food and snack manufacturers are switching over to natural dried fruit with no artificial ingredients added. Dried fruits have a wide range of potential application either as final food products such as healthy snacks and, confectioneries or as functional ingredient for other food products.

Dried fruit is a healthy food product, and is currently consumed by a large global population. The current market for dried fruits is vast, consisting many developed and developing countries such as The United States, Japan, China, Thailand and Philippines. Tropical fruits such as mango, banana, guava, pineapple and papaya are common and the global demand of exports has been increasing each year. Tropical countries such as Thailand and Philippines are major players in the Southeast Asian region producing various dried tropical fruit products. Future demand for natural based dried fruit will keep increasing constantly providing solid foundation and reason to pursue interest in the downstream processing of tropical fruits. Furthermore, dried fruit does not contain known allergens, thus it is a good vehicle for the delivery of probiotics in various functional applications. Probiotics are living microorganism that have been proven to promote multiple health benefits including intestinal regularity, supporting the immune system, improve nutrient absorption, reduce oral problems, promote cardiovascular health and prevention of colorectal cancers. Probiotic dried fruit is one of the biggest untapped innovation opportunities in the packed food and healthy snack market worldwide. However, the survival of probiotics in the mediums other than dairy products is important information to validate the benefits of probiotics in the product. Probiotics in liquid form (dairy based medium) requires refrigerated conditions throughout the transportation chains in order to maintain their benefits and quality. In dried form such as capsuled and powdered probiotics, it can however be maintained at ambient temperature with slightly longer shelf life. To date, incorporating probiotic in a fruit based medium (dried fruit) still remains a big challenge especially maintaining the viability of the probiotic in the products (in medium other than milk), its active numbers, as well as sustaining the goodness of the fruit itself. It was reported that the amount of active probiotic bacteria in the products should be at least 10⁸CFU to achieve optimal beneficial effects or functional daily dosage (World Gastroenterology Organization).

One of the most challenging aspects of developing probiotics and probiotic foods are the viability of the microbial cultures during the technological processing (environment) and the survival (stability) of the probiotics in the foods during storage. Probiotics are commonly concentrated and freeze dried into capsules to ensure their viable counts remain high (millions/billions cells) before being consumed and delivered to the target site (intestinal tract). However, most of the probiotic foods available in the markets are confined to fermented milk (yoghurt or yoghurt drinks) and dairy related foods. This could be probably due to the facts that most of the probiotics identified are belong to lactic acid bacteria (LAB) which could be commonly found in raw milk and some of the probiotics are used as adjunct starters for many fermented milks that are found worldwide. However, with an increase in the consumer vegetarianism throughout the developed countries, there is also a demand for the vegetarian probiotic products.

Incorporating probiotics into non-dairy foods in dried form while maintaining their viability is technically tough and it is an ongoing challenge due to the harsh environment of the food matrices. Probiotic viability is an important aspect in foods in order for them to deliver the functional properties when it is ingested by consumers. Currently, drying technologies such as freeze drying and spray drying have becoming a popular tool among researcher due to the promising results in maintaining the viability of these probiotics in dried form. Cryoprotectant and encapsulation agent are common chemicals added into the probiotic cultures prior to undergoing freeze drying and spray drying process respectively. Cryoprotectant such as carbohydrates protects the cell from the possible chilling injury by preventing intracellular nucleation of ice (Fowler and Toner, 2005). Another step prior to freeze and spray drying is to adapt the probiotic cultures against temperature stress using several stress adaptation techniques. The most common technique is exposing the probiotic cultures at elevated or reduced temperature prior to the actual dehydration process (Meng et al., 2008).

Apart from bacterial viability, the technology used to convert these probiotics into dried form must be readily accessible and sustainable in terms of cost effectiveness. While the technology of both spray drying and freeze drying sounds very promising, the cost of these technologies is not viable for small industries. Vacuum dehydration could be used at lower cost, but provides the low probiotic viability as well as product with shorter shelf life. Some important aspects to be considered when processing probiotics into dried form are listed below: a. Bacterial Strain Variability and Adaptability - Every probiotic strain has its own resistance or threshold towards environmental factors due to the variability in species and their adaptation capability. Some strains (even within similar species) are able to withstand low pH, high osmotic pressure and high temperature than the others. Each strain grows at a different growth rate as pure culture and mix cultures. Some can be antagonistic while others may promote each other's growth and adapt better in harsh environment. Therefore, finding the right mixture of culture is essential to solve this problem. b. Cost Efficiency -This is an important aspect in order for the technology to be viable in the food industry. Freeze dryer and spray dryer (with encapsulation) have been used to create probiotic in powder form. However, the cost of the technology and the expected outcomes of the product make it not readily accessible to the lower end of the food industry. A cheaper alternative is by using vacuum drying which is able to perform almost as comparable as freeze dryers. c. The Shelf-Life and Functional Viability of the Probiotic - The viability of the probiotic bacteria (within the active numbers of 10 CFU) must be retained in parallel with the shelf life of the product. Probiotic bacteria grow differently at different medium and generally, they are more susceptible to death in mediums other than milk. Most of the dehydrated products containing probiotics require cold storage to maintain the viability and functionality of the probiotics at the extended shelf-life. However, keeping food products at low temperature require cold logistics which is very costly and inconvenient within the product distributing networks. d. Culture contamination - Contamination of probiotic culture may occur during bacterial cell harvesting. The culture can be contaminated with other undesirable pathogens or spoilage microorganisms if it is not handled by a trained individual. A dedicated laboratory facility is also required to maintain and propagate the bacterial cultures. e. Health Issues - Improper protocols used in maintaining the viability of probiotic may result in the contamination of chemical residues used in the growth and treatment of the cultures. It is vital or starter cultures to be grown and treated with food grade chemicals prior to inoculation into the medium for dehydration.

In view of the above it was an object of the present invention to provide an easy, efficient and cost effective method to prepare an alternative probiotic food with good flavor, beneficial effects on the health and well-being and that is pleasing to the consumer's or patients eye.

In a first aspect the problem posed is solved by a method for the production of a probiotic dried food product, comprising a.providing a food product, b. coating the food product with a probiotic organism composition, and c. subsequently drying the food product to obtain the probiotic dried food product.

In context of the present invention the term "about" when used to define a parameter, shall be understood to refer to a deviation (positive and negative) from the referenced parameter value of a maximum of 20%, preferably of 10% more preferably of 5%, and most preferably of no more than 2%. In one embodiment of the invention, said food product is a fruit, or a part or slice of a fruit, preferably a fruit selected from mango, papaya, honeydew, guava, and pineapple. However, in a more generalized embodiment the present invention shall pertain to any edible plant material.

In context of the present invention, it is preferred that the probiotic organism is selected from lactic acid bacteria, consisting of Lactobacillus plantarum, L. brevis, L. rhamnosus, L. delbrueckii, L. paracasei, or Pediococcus pentasaceus, most preferably Lactobacillus plantarum, optionally wherein said probiotic organism composition comprises a probiotic organism of at least 10⁶ CFU/g,

o

more preferably of at least 10 CFU/g. It is preferred that the probiotic organism is selected from the strains Lactobacillus plantarum UMS 0103, UMS 0123, UMS 0140, UMS 0147, UMS 0157, UMS 0611, UMS 0612, UMS 1002, preferably from Lactobacillus plantarum UMS 0140 and/or Lactobacillus plantarum UMS 0612. In a most preferred embodiment of the invention the probiotic organism composition comprises a combination of Lactobacillus plantarum UMS 0140 and Lactobacillus plantarum UMS 0612, preferably in a ratio of between 1 :1 to 1 :2, most preferably of about 1 :1.5.

A next embodiment of the method of the invention pertains to a pre-treating step for preparing the food product to be used in the present invention. The food product is specifically cleaned before usage. However, in order to remove any microorganisms from the surface of the food product, the food product is preferably sterilized. This should be carried out with a method that allows to remove any microorganisms without destruction of the nutrient content of the food. Preferred is a pretreatment with steam, such as a flash steam treatment.

Another embodiment pertains to the step b. of the inventive method, wherein the food product is brought into contact with the probiotic organism composition at about 37°C and reduced pressure (50 to 60 mbar) for at least 1 hour, preferably for at least 4 hours. For example, the probiotic organism composition may be provided as a solution of the bacteria. The food product is then, optionally after the pre-treatment step, brought into contact with the probiotic organism solution by tipping the fruit into the solution. It is preferable that the procedure comprises a slight rocking of the fruit at for example about 60 rpm. The food product should be incubated for at least 1 hour in the solution to allow a sufficient coating.

Another embodiment of the invention pertains to a step b.l that should be performed before the drying step, therefore, between method step b. and c, wherein the probiotic organism on the coated food product is stress adapted; preferably wherein the stress adaption comprises a rapid increase of the temperature of at least 2 °C, preferably of at least 5°C ±0.5.

Preferred in context of the present inventive method is that step c. comprises a drying process selected from the group consisting of vacuum drying, solar dying, convective air drying, thermal drying, osmotic dehydration, microwave drying, spray drying and freeze drying. Preferably the food product is dried until the food product reaches a water activity (a_w) of 0.5 to 0.7, preferably of 0.6 . In particular adequate proofed the application of vacuum drying, preferably at about 3 mbar and about 45°C for 18 to 22 hours.

Another aspect of the invention then relates to a dried food product obtainable by a method in accordance to the herein above described invention.

Yet another aspect pertains to a dried fruit product comprising a coating of a probiotic organism composition.

Preferred is a dried fruit product as described above wherein the probiotic organism composition comprises a probiotic organism content of at least 10⁶ colony forming units /g (CFU/g), preferably after about 6 months of storage, more preferably of about 10⁸ CFU/g.

Preferably the dried fruit product according to any one of claims 12 to 14, with a moisture content of less than 25% water, more preferably of less than 20%, 19%, 18% most preferably of less than 17% water.

The dried food product in accordance with the invention in another aspect is used as a food supplement. Since most probiotics are administered to consumers/patients as capsules, tablets or drinks or dairy foods, and many people are suffering from lactose intolerance an cannot consume dairy products, or are afraid or feel uncomfortable with the consumption of capsules or tablets, it is an advantage to provide a new probiotic food product in form of a tasteful dried fruit that is appealing to the consumer/patient.

Another aspect of the present invention pertains to the use of the dried food product as provided by the herein described invention in the production of a pharmaceutical or probiotic composition.

A further aspect of the invention then relates to a dried fruit product as described before, for use in the treatment of a disease of the digestive tract and/or of an infectious disease. The dried food product of the invention proved to be very tasteful and beneficial for the health. Therefore, the dried food product of the invention may not only serve as food as such, but may also be used in context of the dietary plan of a lactose intolerant patient. Or to help patients that suffer from digestive tract disorders.

In this regard it is also an aspect of the invention to provide a method for treating a human patient suffering from a disease, comprising the administration of a dried food product in accordance with the invention. A disease treatable with the dried food product of the invention may be preferably selected from the group consisting of lactose intolerance, disorders of the gastro-intestinal tract or mouth and throat, or cardiovascular diseases. In particular the dried food product of the invention may be used in context of any disease that is known in the art to be treatable by administration of a probiotic.

While the present invention has been described with specificity in accordance with certain of its preferred embodiments, the following examples serve only to illustrate the invention and are not intended to limit the invention within the principles and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent configurations thereof. Description of the Drawings

Figure 1: Production lost during processing of fruits in different regions (FAO, 201 1). Figure 2: Schematic flow of the process of dehydrating fruit with probiotic.

Figure 3: Stability of probiotics on the dehydrated fruit at room temperature.

Figure 4: Image (SEM) of Probiotics on (a) papaya (b) honeydew

Figure 5: Consumer acceptance survey on the probiotic dehydrated fruit

Detailed Description of the Invention

Example 1: Production of Probiotic-Fruit Slices a) Equipment Used

Vacuum oven, incubator, centrifuge, and autoclave. b) Preparation of Culture.

Stock culture of L. plantarum UMS 0140 and L. plantarum UMS 0612 is maintained in MRS agar at 4°C. Upon usage, the culture is transferred into fresh MRS agar and incubated at 37°C for 18 hours. Pure colonies of L. plantarum UMS 0140 and L. plantarum UMS 0612 were then transferred into MRS broth and incubated for another 18 hours at 37°C. c) Harvesting of Probiotic Culture.

The probiotic cells are collected by centrifugation at 2100 g for 5 minutes followed by the removal of MRS broth. Probiotic is then re-suspended into 5% sugar solution and again being centrifuged. The process is repeated for another 2 times and the probiotic cells are transferred into 5% sugar solution. The probiotic bacteria concentration is diluted and adjusted to 10⁸CFU/ml. Probiotic cultures (L. plantarum UMS 0140 to L. plantarum UMS 0612) are mixed in a specific ratio for different types of fruit respectively (Table 1). The prepared mixed cultures must be used within 5 hours to ensure cell viability. d) Fruit Selection, Cleaning and Processing.

Fruits are selected based on their maturity before they are processed. The fruit must be at a ripe stage and free from any damage or disease in order to keep the quality of the fruit as well as reducing any possibility of microbial contamination. The fruits are washed and soaked in portable water for 2 hours. Fruits are peeled and sliced into dimensions of approximately 20x50x15 mm. The sliced fruits are kept in closed container at 4°C prior to further process within 4 hours. e) Pre-treatment of fruit Prior to the inoculation of probiotic cultures, the fruit slices are subjected to flash steam treatment for 20 seconds. This will remove most of the surface microorganisms in order to minimize the competition of surface colonization for the probiotic cultures as well as to remove spoilage or pathogenic organisms. Steam treatment will also help to expand the pores and crevices between the fruit tissues to promote the impregnation process. f) Inoculation and Impregnation of Cultures

Impregnation of the mixed probiotic cultures must be done in a glass or plastic container which must be sterile and free from contamination of any microorganisms. Fruit slices were arranged in the container gently to minimize bruises. Mixture of probiotics and 5% sugar solution are poured into the container until it totally cover the fruit slices and the container is subjected to minor agitation at 60 rpm. The impregnation process must be done under condition of 37°C for 4 hours under reduced pressure (50-60 mbar). The fruit slices must be immediately removed from the solution after 4 hours. g) Stress Adaptation of Probiotic Culture in Fruits

The fruit slices incorporated with probiotics is removed from the container and placed on a nonstick tray to be transferred into a vacuum oven at 37°C. The probiotic culture is subjected to stress adaptation by means of rapidly increasing the temperature to 42°C and left constant at atmospheric temperature for 2 hours. After 2 hours, the fruit slices are arranged on the nonstick dehydration tray for the subsequent dehydration process which also taken place in the same oven. . h) Dehydration of Fruit Containing Probiotics.

The vacuum dehydration condition is set at 3 mbar, 45°C for 18-22 hours of drying time. The dehydration conditions vary slightly for different types of fruits depending on their moisture contents and ensuring the viability of probiotics (Table 1). After dehydration, the products are collected and placed in an airtight container and kept at room temperature. i) Product Storage

Upon packaging, fruit slices will be adjusted and left at room temperature for 2 hours. The Fruits are packed in an airtight plastic and sealed to prolong its probiotic viability. Table 1 : Probiotic ratios and dehydration period of fruits

Fruits Ratio Drying time (hours)

L. plantarum UMS 0140: L

plantarum UMS 0612

Mango

Papaya

Honeydew

Guava

Pineapple

Example 2: Analysis of the Probiotic Dried Fruit of the Invention

The natural phytochemicals such as antioxidants that are found the fruits are retained in this dehydrated product. However, many of these beneficial components are destroyed during the conventional processing and hardly retained in the dried fruits.

Caffeic acid 0.46 0.05 0.10 0.02 0.02

β-carotene 0.30 0.04 0.23 0.10 0.01

Ferrulic acid 1.86 0.35 1.37 0.24 0.75

Lycopene 0.01 0.01 0.05 0.02 0.01

p-coumaric acid 1.35 1.13 0.50 0.52 0.35

Gallic acid 2.30 1.02 1.34 1.82 1.27

Moisture content (%) 16.96 16.13 16.2 16.5 15.80

Firmness (N) 8.3 10.4 10.2 9.2 9.5

pH 3.74 3.93 3.62 3.55 3.85

(after Impregnation) L 39.99 81.04 95.03 85.22 20.42 a 35.71 -3.54 10.14 5.25 3.40

b 20.51 25.31 45.12 33.14 4.26

Table 3 shows that the surface properties (pH and moisture) of the probiotic of dried fruit are well tailored to suit the preservation of probiotic bacteria and maintaining its chewable texture and color.

Figure 3 shows the viability of probiotic strain remains high (more than 10⁷ CFU) during storage of the dehydrated fruit at room temperature (28-30°C).

Figure 4 shows the attachment of active probiotic cells on the surface and inside of the dehydrated fruit. The proper aggregation and attachment is vital to maintain the survival of the probiotics.

Figure 5 shows the probiotic dried fruits received good acceptance among the consumers as compared to other conventional dried fruits (without probiotic) available in the market.

Table 4: Acid tolerance of lactic acid bacteria at pH 3 for 4 hours

Strain Number of strains Number of strains

tested with 6 log CFU / ml

Lactobacillus plantarum 16 8

(UMS 0103, UMS 0123, UMS 0140, UMS

0147, UMS 0157, UMS 0611, UMS

0612, UMS 1002)

Lactobacillus brevis 6 2

Lactobacillus rhamnosus 3 1

Pediococcuspentasaceus 1 1

Lactobacillus delbrueckii 1 0

Lactobacillus paracasei 1 0

Total 28 12

The selected probiotic strains are adapted well at low pH and water activity conditions which is an important characteristic dehydrated fruits surface which has high acidity and low pH. Table 5: Antimicrobial activities of the probiotic cell free spent broth against common pathogens Strain Inhibition distance (mm) against selected bacterial pathogens²

(mean ± SD)

SA LM ST SE YE

L. brevisOS08 0 13.5 ± 0.7 7.5 ± 0.7 8.5 1 2.1 12.5 + 2.1

L brevis 0871 7.5 ± 0.7 12.5 ± 0.7 9.0 1 0.0 9.0 1 0.0 11.5 + 0.7

L. plantarum 0103 0 0 0 0 0

L plantarum 0123 8.0 ± 0.0 15.5 ± 0.7 9.0 1 0.0 9.0 + 0.0 11.5 + 0.7

L. plantarum 0140 8.0 1 0.0 9.0 ± 0.0 8.5 + 0.7 9.0 1 0.0 9.0 + 0.0

L. plantarum 0147 8.0 ± 0.0 10.0 ± 0.0 12.0 1 0.0 10.0 1 0.0 10.0 1 0.0

L. plantarum 0157 7.0 1 0.0 10.5 ± 0.7 10.5 1 0.7 9.5 1 0.7 8.5 + 0.7

L plantarum 0611 8.0 ± 0.0 15.5 ± 0.7 9.0 1 0.0 9.5 + 0.7 12.5 + 0.7

L plantarum 0612 8.0 ± 0.0 14.5 ± 0.7 9.5 1 0.7 9.0 + 0.0 17.0 + 0.0

L. plantarum 1002 0 11.5 ± 0.7 0 0 0

i.. acidophilus (Std) 7.0 ± 0.0 12.5 ± 0.7 7.5 1 0.7 8.5 + 0.7 11.5 + 0.7

The pathogens tested are Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 (SA), Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 13932 (LM), Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 1331 1 (ST), Salmonella enteritis ATCC 13076 (SE) and Yersinia enterocolitica ATCC 23715 (YE)

2Diameter of inhibition included 6 mm diameter of culture spot

The selected probiotic strains produce good antimicrobial substances that are inhibitory to the foodborne pathogens, comparable to the commercial probiotic strain {L. acidophilus). This characteristic could allow the probiotic to be used as protective culture preserving the quality and safety of the product.

Due to the above results the food product of the invention provides the following beneficial effects: a) The invention enables incorporation of probiotics in fruit based products which could be used for lactose intolerant and all age groups.

b) The product shelf life is extended to at least 4 months and the viability of probiotics is assured at room temperature storage (Figure 3).

c) No need refrigerated storage to maintain the probiotic viability.

d) Logistics cost of refrigerating probiotic products can be reduced tremendously.

e) Dehydrated product is stable at room temperature with product taste and color remains unchanged.

f) It provides convenient and health benefits to the consumers. g) Utilization of vacuum dehydration provides cheaper alternative in manufacturing dehydrated probiotic products using the designed process as compared to other technology such as spray drying and freeze drying.

h) The product (dried fruit) retains most of the beneficial nutrient and phytochemicals which are commonly loss or degraded through the usage of conventional dehydration (Table 2).

i) Dehydrated fruit with probiotic provides an excellent alternative for healthy snack as compared to other snacks in the market which may contain hazardous additives.

j) The process enables the usage of locally isolated probiotic strain.

k) The developed process can be applied to any fruit with minor adjustments.

1) The process allows tropical fruit to be exported globally.

The herein described technology/process was designed specifically to counter problems related to fruits and providing a "new age snack" capable to deliver the goodness of fruit as well as live probiotics without compromising on the safety of the product. The innovative process helps to retain the beneficial phytochemicals of tropical fruits and its natural taste. Amazingly, our product was designed through a unique low temperature vacuum dehydration process retaining the beneficial nutrients of the fruit while producing the right environment for the probiotics to be kept dormant. The product (dehydrated fruit) can be kept at room temperature without any need for preservatives to maintain its freshness as well as to protect against spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. The process is not only solves the problems mentioned above but also reduces the bulkiness of fruits and give utmost convenience to the manufacturers and customers in handling and delivering the end product. The dehydrated probiotic fruits can be used as an ingredient such as flavoring or topping in other food processing including confectioneries, ice-creams and others.

Comparison of the invention to state of the art methods

Prior art Technical problems / How your invention

weaknesses solves the problems

Powdered/ capsuled probiotic These products are not The product could be

supplements attractive to the children referred as healthy snack

since they are appeared as

Examples: since it does not contains

drugs/medicines with very any preservative. The

1. Align® limited application except natural taste and colors of

2. Sustenex® used as pharmaceuticals. the fruits are preserved. Dried fruits Dried fruits contain highly Improved retention of

1. Sunsweet® reduced levels of nutrient. fruit nutrients

Some may contain harmful No added color, flavor,

2. Del Monte®

artificial coloring, flavoring and preservative.

3. MahnazFood® and preservatives and

Containing viable count others may contain high

of good bacteria concentrations of sugar and

(probiotic)

salt. They do not contain

any good bacteria.

Spoonable probiotic Bulky, short shelf life and The number of live yoghurt/drinks/fermentedproducts. require strict low probiotics is assured temperature refrigeration to without refrigeration and

1. Nestle®

maintain the quality. the shelf-life of the

2. Marigold® product is extended.

Most of them cannot

3. Yakult® More convenient, less maintain the amount of

bulky, dairy free with a viable probiotic cells

very low risk of present in the product.

undesirable microbial growth or contamination.

Claims

1. Method for the production of a probiotic dried food product, comprising

a. Providing a food product,

b. Coating the food product with a probiotic organism composition, and

c. Subsequently drying the food product to obtain the probiotic dried food product.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said food product is a fruit, or a part or slice of a fruit, preferably a fruit selected from mango, papaya, honeydew, guava, and pineapple.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the probiotic organism composition comprises a probiotic organism selected from a lactic acid bacteria, preferably from the group consisting of Lactobacillus plantarum, L. brevis, L. rhamnosus, L. delbrueckii, L. paracasei, or Pediococcus pentasaceus, most preferably Lactobacillus plantarum, optionally wherein said probiotic organism composition comprises a probiotic organism of at least 10⁶ CFU/g, more preferably of at least 10⁸ CFU/g.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the probiotic organism is selected from the strains Lactobacillus plantarum UMS 0103, UMS 0123, UMS 0140, UMS 0147, UMS 0157, UMS 0611, UMS 0612, UMS 1002, preferably from Lactobacillus plantarum UMS 0140 and/or Lactobacillus plantarum UMS 0612.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the probiotic organism composition comprises a combination of at least two different probiotic organisms, preferably of Lactobacillus plantarum UMS 0140 and Lactobacillus plantarum UMS 0612, preferably in a ratio of between 1 :1 to 1 :2, most preferably of about 1 :1.5.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the food product of method step a. is pretreated in order to remove microorganisms from the food product, preferably wherein the pre-treatment is a flash steam treatment.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein in step b. the food product is brought into contact with the probiotic organism composition at about 37°C and reduced pressure (50 to 60 mbar) for at least 1 hour, preferably for at least 4 hours.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a method step b. l between method step b. and c, wherein the probiotic organism on the coated food product is stress adapted; preferably wherein the stress adaption comprises a rapid increase of the temperature of at least 2°C, preferably of at least 5°C ±0.5.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein step c. comprises a drying process selected from the group consisting of vacuum drying, solar dying, convective air drying, thermal drying, osmotic dehydration, microwave drying, spray drying and freeze drying.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the food product is dried until the food product reaches a water activity (a_w) of 0.5 to 1, preferably of 0.7 to 0.8.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the drying process is vacuum drying, preferably at about 3mbar and about 45°C for 18 to 22 hours.

12. Dried food product obtainable by a method according to any one of claims 1 to 1 1.

13. Dried fruit product comprising a coating of a probiotic organism composition.

14. The dried fruit product according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the probiotic organism composition comprises a probiotic organism content of at least 10⁶ colony forming units /g (CFU/g), after about 6 months of storage.

15. The dried fruit product according to any one of claims 12 to 14, with a moisture content of less than 25% water, more preferably of less than 20%, 19%, 18% most preferably of less than 17% water.

16. Use of the dried food product according to any one of claims 12 to 15 in the production of a pharmaceutical or probiotic composition.

17. The dried fruit product according to any one of claims 12 to 14, for use in the treatment of a disorder of the digestive tract and/or of an infectious disease.